Balance
by Haruka Kokoro
Summary: The sun and the moon, passing like ships in the night. An infinite balance.


Tada! Finally, a Kiba x Hanabi drabble. Because I'm ADDICTED to these two. Seriously, I'm as addicted to them as I am to Minato x Kushina.

Disclaimer: Kiba the sexy beast belongs to Kishimoto. And obviously, I'm not Kishimoto.

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Balance, the way the world began. Long ago, far before he was ever born, there was the sun and there was the moon. Light and dark balanced, flaming brilliance countered by cool serenity. And beyond the sun and moon, were only the stars. Each is blemished, the moon's reflective surface marred with scars of wayward debris. The sun is constant turmoil, it destroys whatever or whomever may reach it's surface. That is the balance.

He is beautiful in his own way, the air practically humming when he is near, saturated with the energy he brings to the table. People think of him as a boy, just as he himself thinks. If he was ever thought of as a man, his power would be feared beyond so many others. Because he is blatantly powerful, there are no wiles or lies to this sort of strength. He himself fears his own power and is content to live the life of a subordinate, a child in a world of adults.

She is undoubtedly beautiful. Sleek and subtle, with an underlying power that demands respect from all those she meets. Similar to the moon, she has felt many a blow, all for the sake of gaining power and experience. The beauty is in the scars, and what beautiful blemishes they are. She wants to own up, to be an adult in tough situations. But like a child she is told to stay on the sidelines and watch, to wait for her moment when she will undoubtedly shine. With such a ruling in power, she doubts this moment will ever arrive.

When matched against an enemy, he fights for his life. But only while under the mask of a child, remaining cocky and arrogant because that is how he deals with his fear. He is fearsome when his loyalty is questioned. And those that do question it only do so once, because he makes sure to affirm the fact he will never betray his friends, his family or his village.

Enemies are just pawns in her game of chess, partners in a dance. She will function like she always does, perfectly, even when her dance includes the clumsiest of partners. Or simply beings she despises. Because she is cold, letting the needs of others and main priority govern her sense of judgement. There is no 'I' for her, only 'they'. Because it is not about her, it is about what others want from her. There is no room for emotions.

The sun and the moon never really settle, they pass like two ships in the night. Each ship traveling it's own path, an entirely different destiny than the other. Like two ships, they meet for brief moments. Some days he unlocks the door to her prison, her home. But he does not come to see her, he comes to bring her stuttering sister out to the training fields. And once again the undeserving older sister will bask in his warmth while she undergoes the harsh icy critique of her elders. Still, even those little moments are precious. She has begun to clock the times he visits, and can nearly predict when he will drop by. So she waits near the entrance, if only to open the door so he may enter. Even if only so that she can scorn him for interrupting her from a non-existent task, he only smiles and spits back an equally scornful reply.

Even for the sun and the moon, there are exceptions. Some moments the moon is eclipsed by the sun, a halo of fire formed around the silver face. These are the moments he loves. He feels needed when he sees her so small, curled beneath the billowing sheets of his bed. Her body remotely cool despite their passionate touches, still beautiful despite the bite marks that he is tempted to heal with his fledgling healing abilities. There are those times when he can not spare the time to pleasure her, to warm the moon with the heat of his adoration for her. So he demands her promise that she will love him and only him, sealing this pledge with a kiss. Because he can not bring himself to repeat such a promise, he feels as if it will take away from the reality and utter depth of his pledge.

He remembers seeing her older sister being beat down by their cousin, and it frightens him. She sleeps in a den of wolves, and he in comfort with his family. It doesn't seem fair, nor does it feel safe. He feels cheated, cheated out of having what rightfully belongs to him. The moon can not gleam if it has no sun, the light will dim until at last all is dark. And she will die. All alone, cold in her bed, without him. He refuses to allow that, refuses to let her freeze in her prison. He wants her to be warm, but he knows the sun can not exist if there is no moon. There is a balance, and it will not shift. Not even for him.

It seems so long ago that the bearer of the kitsune beat him using only it's body functions, he is no longer such a child. She has watched the transformation from child to man, even if he still tries to remain a child. He doesn't want to face the dark, but now that he has her the dark isn't as frightening. It is simply unknown. Still, she recalls his soft face so long ago. The way the tattoos on his high cheeks used to be so bright, now lightly faded on his tanned skin. She longs to feel the muscles flex beneath her fingertips, but is only lucky enough to watch them flex as he returns his shirt to his body when she delivers lunch to her exhausted sister. It's an unspoken rule; don't play with fire, or suffer the consequences. But she knows that he will never burn her, even though his brilliant flame may destroy others, because there is balance. They are balance.

So now, they no longer question the balance. Because it has become their very essence. Without him she can not survive, and he without her. No enemy can take him from her and her from him, not without interrupting the balance. But when they look up at the sky, they realize that they will never lose this balance. Because they are the sun and moon, two partners who will always be together even spanning across the universe. The balance will exist until the last breathe, and then they will be a memory. But the balance still exists, and they do not question it. Because they can not question themselves, there simply isn't a point.


End file.
